It's nice to see Nintendo supporting that insane Bongo peripheral with a sequel to Donkey Konga. That must be some sort of record.

DK2 is more of the same, except worse! I'm assuming Nintendo felt they should attempt to make the series more hip and decided to branch out musically with a collection of tunes that I would move out of the country to avoid hearing again. Playing bongos to punk pop, R&B and metal is ridiculous and embarrasing. It's embarrasing to the original artists vision of the music and to me, because I'm playing these stupid bongos in front of the TV. It's a bad scene.

The simple play mechanic hasn't changed. You'll still watch symbols float by onscreen which correspond to various bongo hits (hit left bongo, right bongo, both etc). Since that's basically been lifted since DDR or Parappa the Rapper appeared, we can't really call it revolutionary. It simple seems to work because that's just the way it's been done.

The only aspect of DK2 that has changed for the better are the mini-games which mercifully have been slightly retooled so that they are more dependent on skills rather than whatever the hell they were based on last time. Was that trial and error?

DK2's one saving grace is that it's at its best when four people are playing. Even the meekest person in attendance will become fiercely competitive in their attempt to take over high score. I understand that fun is a completely subjective term. What's fun for one, might not be all that entertaining for the next. Donkey Konga 1 or 2 in that sense is good for one good solid night of videogame fun, especially between adults. You'll all have a great time. Try to recreate the same event again and it will be almost sure to fail. I've seen it time and time again, especially with adults who convince their friends to play. Even though everyone had a blast and laughed like hell through the night, told their co-workers about how crazy it was playing the funny bongo game...ask them over for a rematch and they'll look at you like you're insane.

I'll give Nintendo credit for releasing a sequel. It may not go above and beyond the original, but at least it's another game that uses those wacky bongos. If you can stomach the abrupt change in playlists from the first to the second game you might want to give DK2 a slap, pop and clap.

In a stunning move, Nintendo has announced that it will release a third game that makes use of the Bongo peripherals. We were sure it would end at Donkey Konga and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. Color us embarrassed.

Play more than 25 new hits, from pop and hip-hop to R&B and rock, all straight from the charts. With three difficulty levels and five modes of play, Donkey Konga 2 will have gamers everywhere drumming and clapping again to new songs.

How to progress through the game:

In Donkey Konga 2, performances are graded by how accurately players drum along to the rhythms shown on the screen. In Street Performance mode, players play for DK Coins. The better their performances, the more coins they earn. Coins are spent at the Shopping Mall to purchase expert-level music, alternate sound sets for the DK Bongos controller, and mini-games at the Shopping Mall. The Music Lab features two new mini-games. In Challenge mode, players must match a set performance score to move on to the next song, with the ultimate goal of playing every song in the game in one sitting. Battle mode pits two players against one another to see who can achieve the higher score. Hitting strategically placed POW blocks will lower opponents' scores, and there’s a drum roll contest for bonus points as well. In Jam Session, the more the merrier – up to four players can grab DK Bongos controllers and go bananas!

Special powers/weapons/moves/features:

Donkey Konga 2 is played with the DK Bongos controller, which was introduced in the original Donkey Konga. It has a left drum, right drum and a microphone that picks up the sound of clapping. As you play the mini-games, you will get opportunities to unlock special "badges," icons that you and your friends can use to personalize your high scores.

Story:

One day at drum practice, Donkey Kong® and Diddy Kong® begin arguing over each other's playing. Dixie Kong™ and Cranky Kong™ happen to walk by and see the two embroiled in a heated exchange. Dixie settles the spat by showing off her stunning skills. That's when Cranky comes up with a brilliant idea: It's time for the Kongs to go on tour!

Features:

• Play more than 25 new hits, from pop and hip-hop to R&B and rock, all straight from the charts.
  
• With three difficulty levels and five modes of play, Donkey Konga 2 will have gamers everywhere drumming and clapping again to new songs.
  
• Rock out with new game modes. Drum to your own beat in Freestyle Plaza or see how well you and your friends synch up as you share a DK Bongos controller in Concert mode.
  
• Multiplayer musical mayhem! Connect up to four sets of DK Bongos controllers for jam sessions, or match your rhythmic prowess against a rival in the two-player Battle mode.
• Featuring: Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong.